Justin Raiford
Graduate: June 27, 2008, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Chef de Cuisine, 34th Street Café, Austin, Texas
Justin Raiford's passion for cooking began in Louisiana with his Cajun grandparents, and his culinary interests grew stronger as he moved with his family from the Middle East to Asia to various cities in the United States. His traveling adventures—including classes at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore—sharpened his cooking skills and inspired him to craft new recipes.
Justin then accepted an internship at the Trail West Resort in Buena Vista, Colorado where head Chef Brian Romano helped him combine his global cooking interests with restaurant management skills. Justin saw the value that a formal culinary education could bring to his career, and he successfully earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts at Texas Culinary Academy. After completing an externship at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort and Spa in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Justin returned to Texas to accept the position of Chef at the 34th Street Café. Justin now enjoys complete freedom overseeing the Café's menu, bringing his own eclectic style and imagination and drawing from local seasonal favorites as well as his colorful nomadic past.
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Leonard Reese
Graduate: June 2004, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Sous Chef, Aquarelle, Austin, Texas
Leonard Reese walked away from a lucrative career as a computer chip designer to pursue the culinary arts. After carefully researching culinary schools, he decided that Austin was the obvious choice. Texas Culinary Academy offered the Le Cordon Bleu brand recognition and tradition of excellence that he was seeking.
As a student, Leonard's favorite class was Culinary Arts 101, where students can learn the basics of soups, stocks, and sauces. "It is those basics of cooking that helped me get to where I am today." Another skill Leonard gained was the appreciation of diversity in the culinary workforce: "I learned to interact with many different types of people."
Leonard chose Aquarelle as his target for his externship, because he believed it was one of the best restaurants in Austin. After completing his externship, his passion and determination led him to work there for 3 months, until a permanent, full time position opened up. He attributes his swift promotion from extern to Sous Chef to his uncompromising work ethic. "Whatever they asked of me, I did it."
"I knew it was going to be hard," Reese says of his decision to leave the computer technology field and pursue his love of cooking. "But you have to love it. You have to wake up every day and ask ‘what can I do next?' Don't wait to be told what to do. All you have is now."
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Louis "Cuatro" Kowalski
Graduate: March 2004, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Chef and Owner, Cuatro's, Austin, Texas
After Louis "Cuatro" Kowalski graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Texas, he wasn't sure what his next step would be. But he knew this: as a bartender he loved going to work, and the draw of the hospitality industry was strong. On a whim, Louis visited Texas Culinary Academy and was soon in the kitchens and labs, getting to work with food every day.
Louis secured an externship with the world-famous Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and was ultimately offered a permanent position. But he decided to return to his native Texas and built his resume working at exclusive downtown Austin hotels such as the Driskill, the Four Seasons, and the Hilton. After discovering a choice property near the University's campus, Louis opened Cuatro's, his own restaurant bearing his nickname.
Louis says, "Thanks to the Texas Culinary Academy, what started out as just an idea is now a reality — Cuatro's is a great place to get good food and a cold drink, served by friendly people in a laid-back open-air environment."
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Morris Buck
Graduated: August 2006, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Executive Sous Chef, The Oasis, Austin Texas
Morris Buck has experience in every food service position you can think of, from bartending, washing dishes and cooking, to managing dining rooms and kitchens and opening new locations and training staff.
Despite his 15 years of experience, Morris knew he needed training in fine dining in order to start the next chapter of his career—and that led him to the Texas Culinary Academy. He says, "Texas Culinary Academy provided me with an opportunity to broaden my knowledge and move into upscale dining".
While still a student at Texas Culinary Academy, Morris discovered that he enjoyed the challenges of working in business and industry dining, with its high-volume kitchens, and the opportunity to explore and invent his own culinary style. After a stint with his own catering business, Morris returned to the fast paced restaurant environment he loved and became the Executive Chef of Café Castronova in Lakeway, Texas. While at Café Castronova, Morris made a point of staffing his kitchen with graduates and students from the Le Cordon Bleu program. Morris has recently moved to The Oasis Restaurant to hone his high volume skills.
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Paul Qui
Date Graduated: December 2004, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Sous Chef, Uchi, Austin, Texas
Paul Qui has always known that food is his passion, and the 15-month accelerated program at Texas Culinary Academy appealed to his desire to move quickly on his career: "I wanted to start training, get my degree, and get out in the field" he recalls.
Paul loves learning and new experiences, and he thrived in culinary school. He gained inspiration from Chef Instructor Edna Lynn Porter and successfully balanced work and grades—and also accomplished a staging at the Austin restaurant Uchi. His work at Uchi led to an externship, and then a permanent position. Paul is currently Sous Chef at Uchi and has appeared alongside Uchi's Executive Chef Tyson Cole in a Food Network Iron Chef challenge against Chef Masaharu Morimoto.
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Robert Bellah
Graduate: February 2006, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Southwest Regional Recipe Specialist, Whole Foods, Austin, Texas
Robert Bellah's destiny seemed obvious when, in fifth grade, he designed his first restaurant as a class project. By the time he was a student at Texas Tech, Robert was working at local catering companies and feeling a strong passion for working with food. But with a young family to support, Robert accepted a "practical" managerial position with a global publishing firm.
Years later, with his children grown, Robert found himself laid off from the same publishing company: he enrolled in the Le Cordon Bleu Program at Texas Culinary Academy on the very same day. Robert chose Texas Culinary Academy because of the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu program and the diverse background of the faculty: "I could learn a decade's worth of training in a short amount of time." This training, along with practice and teamwork, helped him overcome challenges and find his rhythm in the kitchen.
Less than three years after graduation, Robert holds the coveted title of Regional Foods Specialist at Whole Foods, but he's never forgotten the fundamentals he learned in culinary school — "Having my mise en place and the ability to work under pressure is critical."
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Reina Morris
Graduate: October 2004, Texas Culinary Academy
Certificate: Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie and Baking
Current Position: Chef and Owner, Buenos Aires Café, Austin, Texas
After catering and creating specialty cakes for her family and friends for years, Reina Morris was used to hearing people ask when she was going to open her own café. Reina had already graduated from engineering school in her native Argentina, and she had a busy schedule volunteering for several organizations. But when her son went off to kindergarten, she set out to pursue a new dream.
Reina chose the Texas Culinary Academy because of the in-depth curriculum. She knew she wouldn't be ready to open her own business until she learned the practical skills of the professional kitchen. Reina completed her externship with at the Four Seasons Austin, and worked for the historic Driskill Hotel before opening her own café Buenos Aires Café in Austin. Her proud establishment is filled with the Argentinean favorites that Reina's friends and family have always enjoyed.
She recommends that students work in the industry to hone their speed and organization skills. "There were many unexpected tasks I wasn't prepared for. Learn as much as possible—knowledge is the best gift you can give yourself."
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Shawn Gamble
Graduate: December 2006, Texas Culinary Academy
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Chef and Owner, Gypsy Italian Bistro, Austin, Texas
After a twenty-year career as a successful financial planner, Shawn Gamble was ready to pursue his life-long dream of opening a restaurant. Shawn began by researching culinary schools. Having grown up in Europe, the Le Cordon Bleu name had left an impression on him. He discovered that Texas Culinary Academy in Austin was highly rated, and the accelerated program appealed to the anxious entrepreneur.
Shawn worked hard to overcome the challenges of returning to school while putting two of his kids through college at the same time. He excelled with a 4.0 GPA and perfect attendance; not one day missed from school in 15 months. And Shawn still found time for student activities, participating in Texas Culinary Academy on-campus events, including the Chili Cook-Off, BBQ Event, Gumbo Cook-off, and Asia Fest.
Shawn returned to Europe for his externship, and to continue work on his restaurant, perfecting his recipes in the beauty of Northern Italy. After returning to Austin and graduating, Shawn opened Gypsy Italian Bistro in downtown Austin. As for the inspiration for the name of his restaurant, Shawn replies, "I'm a culinary gypsy. I've learned and taken inspiration from every experience, every where I've been." Now with a three-star, critically acclaimed Italian bistro, Shawn Gamble is inspiration to aspiring culinary entrepreneurs on how to follow their dreams.
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